


Cryptid Serial Killer Witch Man

by attfna



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Aphrodisiacs, Drinking, Fall Vibes, Frottage, Gardener Neil Josten, Hand Jobs, M/M, Smoking, Soft Boys, Urban Legends, Writer Andrew Minyard, andrew has piercings, andrew smokes cloves, cottage aesthetic, healed twinyards, jumping into piles of leaves, mentions of scars, mini-twinyards, only a tiny big of angst, post witness protection, spooky house, spooky vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27425533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attfna/pseuds/attfna
Summary: Just a story about your typical, spooky cryptid and his curious gardener.~*~All credit to Nora, I own nothing
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 24
Kudos: 252





	Cryptid Serial Killer Witch Man

**Author's Note:**

> Can I offer you a fic in these trying times?
> 
> This was meant to be spookier, but it’s mostly just a bunch self-indulgent fall vibes and Andreil fluff.
> 
> ~*~
> 
> RATING: M (Warnings: Canon mentions of scars/torture/blood, a wee bit of smut that should probably be rated E but I wasn't sure)

** August 21 ** ** st ** ****

For  a brief moment , Neil Josten leaned back on his hands to allow the looming sunflowers to shade him from the afternoon sun. He tipped his head up, the straw hat falling from the back of his head onto the rich, green grass curled between his fingers. It was a perfect summer day. So perfect he couldn’t even be bothered to care about the sweat rolling down his back or the itchy bites he’d gotten on his neck after forgetting his bug spray that morning. In fact, he enjoyed the way his muscles pleasantly ached after a day of hard labor and the dirt under his short nails that would take a significant amount of scrubbing later to remove. 

As he  basked for a few more minutes, a gentle breeze spiraled through the air and the row of flowers behind him rippled like waves lapping at the shoreline. The sound of the wind, buzzing of nearby bees and leaves winding around each other created a symphony of calm. He felt settled. Content. 

At least until the sun was blocked out by the large outline of a peace-disrupting interloper who kicked at the bottom of his shoe to get his attention. 

“Time to go buddy!”

Neil cracked his eyes open, when did he even close them? He shot a mild glare upwards at his friend and boss. 

“Five more minutes, mom,” Neil said dryly. 

Matt laughed. He sounded, and looked, tired but still wore his signature grin that never seemed to leave his face. 

Neil took the large hand when offered, swiping his hat off the ground and onto his head in the same motion as Matt hauled him to his feet. After a half-hearted gesture of wiping the dirt and grass clippings from his clothes, he followed the taller man towards the truck. The vehicle in question was in better condition than it looked and the large ‘Wildworks Landscaping’ magnet on the side was faded and in need of replacing. The company name was a play on Matt’s wife’s surname and Neil never thought it made much sense but what did he know about advertising? 

The drive back to the office was slow. The job they’d worked that day had been a good hour away from the center of Palmetto where the small office was located and now that they were leaving behind the large estate, Neil desperately wanted food and a shower. He loved his job, but it was Friday and he was looking forward to a weekend of doing absolutely nothing. 

Following Matt inside, Neil padded over to the desk to collect his keys from the drawer. He’d lost them one too many times while on jobs and now kept them at the office if he wasn’t driving his own truck to the  worksite . As he sifted through the clutter to dig them out Matt flipped open the laptop to check the company email and calendar. Two others had a weekend job but both Matt and Neil were off the hook until Monday. When Matt hovered his finger over the calendar Neil was struck with the recollection that the following day would mark three years since he’d started working for him. 

Growing up on the run and then spending a few years in witness protection hadn’t left Neil with many options once he reached adulthood. He’d emerged a free man, as safe as he’d ever been, at twenty-one with a GED and meager job experience as a clerk at various convenience stores. It wasn’t for another five years after that, living paycheck-to-paycheck, going from one boring job to another, that Matt found him. The landscaping company had been hired to over-haul the beds surrounding the restaurant where Neil washed dishes. He’d been outside, a cigarette burning to the filter between his fingers during his break, when Matt approached him. He assumed this was normal for the man, who despite his gigantic-ness had the demeanor of an energetic puppy. Neil humored him when Matt asked his opinion, wondering how the shrubs he’d placed looked, and barked out a laugh of ‘Oh shit, you’re right!’ when Neil pointed out that that one of them was at least four inches displaced for them to be spaced evenly. Over the course of the three-day  job they spoke often. Neil even helped Matt plant pansies on his last day. A week later Matt returned to offer Neil a job. 

It hadn’t gone over well with the other employees at first. Neil knew nothing about landscaping and made mistakes fairly often. Matt and Dan were both patient with him but the handful of others either ignored him or were outright nasty. It probably didn’t help that after a few weeks of biting down his annoyance, Neil became abrasive and his sharp tongue almost ended in physical fights more than once. As a result, he mostly worked with Matt or Dan for the first six months and then began to take jobs on his own. He still didn’t get along with the others but at least now he was confident in his skill. He hadn’t expected to like it so much and counted himself lucky to have met Matt and Dan, who were really the only friends he had besides being his employers. 

The click of the keyboard startled him from his reverie. He’d been so lost in thought he didn’t even notice Matt slide into the rolling chair beside him. A second later something caught his eye. 

“Wait...what’s that?” he asked, gesturing at the screen where Matt currently had a spreadsheet pulled up labeled ‘job requests.’

Matt turned a little to look at him and then back at the screen. “Huh? Oh....we got that yesterday but I’ll probably refer it out.”

Neil blinked down at the top of his head a few eyes, brows knitting in confusion. “What? Why? That’s a long-term bid and an obscene amount of money for the job...”

“Did you  _ not _ see the address?” asked Matt, waggling a large finger to the side of the screen. 

_ 1 Moriyama Drive, Palmetto, SC. _

Scratching at the tacky skin on his temple, Neil tried to remember why that sounded familiar. Luckily, or perhaps not, Matt seemed to notice his confusion and turned to stare at him with wide eyes. 

“Moriyama Manor? You know...the  _ murder _ house?”

Ah yes, of course. The Palmetto urban legend – the  _ murder _ house. Neil had to resist rolling his eyes as Matt launched into a tale that he already knew most of, had just pushed it to the back of his mind because like most ghost stories – it was absurd and pointless. 

According to  _ legend _ , as Matt so dramatically stated, Moriyama Manor was built in the mid 1800’s and passed from family member to family member, all of which were implicated in one shady dealing or another. In the late 1970’s it was occupied by a family of five – at least until a stranger (or so they said) wandered in one night and tortured them all for hours before murdering them each in a different way. As the last living  Moriyamas , the property then fell to a distant cousin who wanted nothing to do with the place. Instead, he tried to rent it out. But every tenant left after a year. Over the next twenty years there were three more deaths – two suicides and a suspicious accident involving farming equipment in the barn out back. The stories grew and eventually someone even wrote a book about the place – dubbing it one of the most haunted locations in South Carolina. Now it had been sitting dormant for almost a decade. The house had been closed-up for years and only amateur ghost-hunters bothered to break in to explore  every once in a while . But according to the paper some very brave, or very stupid, soul had purchased it seven months ago for a steal and fixed it up. Neil had driven past it once since then. It was hard to see in the spring and summer, the thicket of trees surrounding the house making it difficult to make out the dark wood and stone foundation set far back from the country road, only accessible by a long, gravel  drive-way . Maybe Matt and the others were frightened by silly stories, but Neil had met enough monsters in his life that the intangible didn’t even make him blink. 

“I’ll take it,” he said, cutting off the last bit of Matt’s story, which had devolved into speculating what kind of psycho would purchase such a home. 

“What?” said Matt, frowning instantly. 

“The job. I’ll take it.”

“Neil.”

“Matt.”

“Neil, I’m not going to let you get ghost-murdered.”

“I promise you I will not get...ghost-murdered. Maybe murdered-murdered. But definitely not ghost-murdered.”

“Your argument is strange and unconvincing.”

Neil heaved a sigh and crossed his arms. “Look, if anything is off, I’ll drop it immediately, but you can’t deny we could use the money.”   
  
He knew he had him there. Dan was pregnant and winter was swiftly approaching and was their slowest time of year. A job like this would really help. Maybe it could even help replace the shitty signs on the sides of the small fleet (a generous word for three) trucks.

Matt chewed his lip. “I’ll come with you then. I don’t want you out there by yourself.”

“Matt you can’t even make it through Zombieland. We won’t get anything done if you’re jumping at your shadow every three minutes,” Neil reasoned. “Besides...we have the  Wainhurst job that has to get done before December and you can’t leave Seth alone. He’s  shit with color  palettes and the building owners are picky.”

Spinning around a full circle, Matt dug his hands in his short black locks and tugged. “Argh. Fine. Why can’t I ever win an argument with you?”

“Because I’m a stubborn asshole,” Neil shot back immediately, the corner of his mouth quirking up. 

Matt laughed and reached up to ruffle his disgusting curls. He didn’t even have to sit up to reach Neil’s head when he was standing, the bastard. “Also, because I love you.”

This time Neil did roll his eyes and pushed away Matt’s hand. “Just send hurry up and reply back so you can get home to Dan.”

🕸

The reply had been nearly immediate, though not filled with as many details as they would have hoped for. Neil noticed the information had been  forwarded to him when he logged into his own email the next day (though he would have known earlier if he ever checked his phone, which was currently dead with six messages from Matt waiting to be opened). 

That evening on his weekly grocery run, he detoured to the far side of the city towards Moriyama Drive. It was about forty minutes from the office but only half an hour from his apartment and the moment he approached the road he wished he’d come earlier in the day. In the orange and purple glow of dying sunlight, the house did look a little creepy. He could make out the yellowish porch-light and shape of the structure through the trees but only barely. Even once he’d pulled off onto the narrow shoulder of the road he had to squint to really see it – the smallest bit of light glinting around the curtains in the window, the sharp peak of the roofline through foliage when the trees swayed with the wind. It looked darker than it should, even in the low light – almost black in color. But colors aside there was nothing ominous about it. In fact, Neil liked the layers of stone that formed a fence around the property, the way the trees arched over the long driveway as if reaching for each other across the gravel. He liked the wild feel of the slightly too-tall grass and weeds that surrounded it all. 

As he put his beat-up pick-up back into gear he wondered about state of the property, the type of flora that surrounded it and whether he would use pine or cypress mulch. He didn’t spare a thought about what kind of person would want to live in such a, supposedly, cursed home.

🕸

** September 5 ** ** th ** ****

Up close, Neil started to wonder why the house had been dubbed 'Moriyama Manor.’ The first part of the name he understood, but it wasn’t really a 'manor’. Or maybe it technically was at one point, but the house was so unique he felt like it deserved its own category. While it wasn’t overly large, it did have two stories and an addition to the side of the house where a garage had been added that obviously wasn’t part of the original 19 th century construction. While it was out of place, it matched the rest of the house right down to the three feet of gray stone at the base to the vertical siding that appeared to be some sort of charred wood. He thought he saw something about the technique used to create such a look on a TV program a while back but couldn’t name it now. 

Around back there was a large barn, nearly the size of the house itself, with the same black siding. There was also a second stone fence that surrounded the structures closer to the center and cut off at the tree-line next to the driveway. Neil parked about twenty feet away from the closed garage and walked around to the front of the house. The grass nearly brushed his knees as he made his way to the waist-high gate that lined up with the front of the house. At one point, there may have been a stone walkway leading from the drive to the front door, but everything was overgrown now. He couldn’t even tell if there were flower beds or if the piles of greenery surrounding the house itself was just years of untended nature, creeping up the sides and partially obscuring the windows even though they were at least ten six feet off the ground. 

Neil climbed the stone steps until he was standing on a freshly painted wooden porch. It was a subtle gray color that matched the trim on the windows and the tiles on the roof. At the end of the covered porch was a tasteful looking swing that looked like it had never been used, the green cushions perfectly shaped and inviting. 

As he turned to the door, hand poised to knock, he aborted the effort after noticing the piece of paper taped to the door. Neil yanked the parchment down and flipped it open, squinting a little at the small, but neat cursive. 

_ ‘Had to run out. Don’t touch the flower beds against the back of the house. Don’t go in the old barn. If you have to go inside the house the spare key is under the spider. Kitchen and bathroom only. Don’t steal my shit. I have cameras.’  _

Well. That’s not ominous at all, Neil thought, huffing a little and trying to bite down his irritation. He wanted to talk to the owner –  Andrew , he corrected himself in his head. Andrew Minyard, according to the very vague work order that only stipulated payment rates and a bi-weekly maintenance contract once the initial landscaping was completed. 

Neil crumpled the paper and stuffed it in his pocket, traipsing down the steps back towards his truck. Since the owner stated they had an industrial mower he didn’t need to bring one of the trailers and opted to drive his own car to the manor in order to free up the rest of the vehicles for Matt to assign to other jobs. It wasn’t a large pick-up but the covered bed in the back allowed him to bring along anything he might need. But instead of going for the equipment Neil wrenched open the creaky metal passenger door and snatched the small, digital camera from the seat. 

The rest of the afternoon he spent getting to know the property – the types of shrubs and weeds. There were several in the  back flower bed, the one he wasn’t allowed to touch, that he didn’t even recognize. He took pictures of everything, made notes and even put some tape around a few trees where he found poison ivy that would need to be taken care of. 

After eating a sandwich on the porch steps for lunch and gulping a bottle of water, Neil made his way towards the barn. The mower was already outside with a tarp thrown over it. It was a model he wasn’t familiar with and it took a little trial and error to get it started, but once he got the hang of it the grass and weeds quickly fell beneath its powerful clippers. He finished the day by  weed-eating around the trees and while felt like he hadn’t done much, it already looked quite different. He wanted to come back the next day and see how much more progress he could make, but the contract was just for one eight-hour day a week for the time being. At least it would give him time to think about what he wanted to do to with the shrubs and what kind of flowers to put in. That is, if he came up with a plan and the mysterious owner  actually approved it. 

As he was loading the last of his gear into the  truck he heard a strange sort of screeching noise. It was faint but sounded like it came from the back of the house. Neil closed the trunk and walked down the drive, only the sound of rustling leaves and the crunch of gravel beneath his feet cutting through the sound of chirping crickets and buzzing insects. When he reached the grass he paused, looking around the back of the house to the barn, to the field behind the house and the tree line beyond. Nothing. Maybe he imagined it. The day had been  hot and he was tired. 

Without another thought, Neil made his way back to his truck, and then to his empty apartment, falling into a pleasantly dreamless sleep. 

🕸

** September 12 ** ** th ** ****

Apparently when Andrew said his spare key was ‘under the spider,’ he meant a real goddamn spider. 

Neil had returned to Moriyama Manor again the following week and been met with yet another note. Unfortunately, he inadvertently stuck his hand in a thicket of what turned out to be poison ivy and forgot to bring the cleaner he usually used to scrub it away before a rash set in. After pulling it up he grabbed a pair of disposable gloves and change of clothes from his truck and spent several minutes scouring the porch for the key. He expected a plastic spider or maybe the image of a spider on something decorative. What he did not expect was a loose piece of wooden trim around the window frame – a frame which had a large, intricate web stretched across it and a brightly colored garden spider of impressive size. 

Letting himself in, he spared only a glance to the dark interior of the home, searching instead for the bathroom. It was just behind the kitchen and within minutes he had showered thoroughly – hopefully in time to prevent any outbreak from the ivy – though he had checked for cameras before stripping. There didn’t seem to be any in the bathroom at least. When he emerged, skin tinged pink from scrubbing himself raw and his curls falling wet around the crown of his head, he took in his surroundings. Neil wasn’t sure what he had expected – but it wasn’t this. 

The walls were painted charcoal, much like the burned wood of the exterior siding, and the floor was a lighter stained wood plank. The furniture was rich green, plush, and though it was mis-matched it all seemed to fit well in the space together. Books were strewn about and offered splashes of color in the otherwise dreary shades of the house and furnishings. There were also blankets and throw pillows haphazardly tossed over the couch and chairs. It was cluttered but organized – homey. 

Making his way towards the window in front of the living room, Neil threw back the curtains to let the light stream in. He hadn’t yet dealt with the flower beds and looking down saw the tips of several pieces of greenery snaking up the glass. Just before he closed the curtain, making sure to leave the house the way he’d found it, he noticed something strange in the corner of the bay window. Sitting on the sill was a small corn-husk doll. It was dusty and out of place. Neil picked it up and examined the faceless thing, screwing up his face in confusion. It seemed an odd thing for someone to keep in their window. Maybe the owner had a child he didn’t know about? 

Realizing he’d probably lingered inside too long, Neil put the doll back and closed the curtains. He adjusted the plastic bag with his soiled clothing and went back to work. 

Later that afternoon he was packing the truck, enjoying the cool breeze and sound of insects when another noise invaded the calm. It was faint but distinct – scratching on wood or another hard surface. Neil was parked around the back of the house today and cocked his head towards the house, listening closely. But the sound was coming from the opposite direction. He turned his attention to the old barn. He had stayed away from it so far, honoring the owners request. But as he walked closer the sound grew louder. Neil considered putting his ear up to the wood but thought about the panic induced lecture he would have to endure from Matt if he told him how he’d intentionally investigated a strange noise at the ‘murder house’ while there alone.  Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets a few feet away and listened. There was  _ definitely _ something in there. Animals perhaps? Maybe that was why the owner didn’t want him opening it – didn't want to risk anything escaping. Maybe he could  _ ask _ the owner if he was ever actually home. 

His stomach growling loudly outweighed his curiosity and Neil headed back to his truck. The mystery would have to be solved another time.

🕸

** September 19 ** ** th **

Still no Andrew. Neil was annoyed now. He hated starting projects without the owners input but he finished most of the basic cleanup. Without another option, Neil decided to start on the flower beds in front of the house. Predictably, they were mostly  weeds and he didn’t have a choice but to rip everything up and start from scratch. Just as he got to the bottom of the first bed, finally seeing soil, his eye caught on something light colored and out of place. Another corn-husk doll. Neil looked up to the windowpane where he’d seen it a week earlier and noticing it was gone, amended his thoughts – the same corn-husk doll? But what was it doing in the flower bed? How had it gotten outside? Extracting himself from the weeds wrapping around his ankles, Neil shuffled out of the bed to the porch and set the creepy thing on the swing. It was moving idly, swaying back and forth. It shouldn’t be moving. No one had sat there and there wasn’t really a breeze. Strange, Neil thought, walking back down the steps.

As he was dragging the water hose back towards its spool at the back of the house, he heard the scratching again. He planned to ignore it but a few seconds later he heard what sounded like a scream. It was inhuman...demonic sounding. Something cooked up in a sound studio to add to the background of some cheesy, b-list horror film. Neil had heard enough human screams in his life to know it wasn’t that. But still he ran, dropping the hose on the ground. He threw open the doors to the barn but there was nothing there. Dim rays of light poked through some of the cracks in the wood and he could see dust swirling and straw falling slowly from the loft. But there was nothing. It took every ounce of his willpower not to walk inside. 

Neil hastily closed the doors, cranked the hose back onto its spool, and headed for his truck. For the first time he wanted to leave before it got too dark. He really needed to stop listening to Matt. This was getting ridiculous. There was no such thing as ghosts or haunted houses. 

Right?

🕸

** September ** **** ** 26 ** ** th **

Neil hadn’t spent a lot of time imagining what the owner of Moriyama Manor looked like, but it sure wasn’t a five-foot blond only a year or two older than himself. Especially not one wearing ripped jeans and a fitted gray turtleneck that perfectly outlined toned biceps and muscular thighs. Neil dragged his eyes over the man and tried not to let his attention linger on the silver piercings that lined his ears or the stud that adorned his tongue when he opened his mouth to curl it around the rim of the coffee mug.

It was after 10am but the man scowled at him and looked disheveled, like he’d just woken up. The cup in his hand was only half empty and his expression only faded to vague disinterest as Neil introduced himself and began asking questions about the property. Most of Andrew’s responses were little more than grunts and adamant ‘I don’t care’s’. Truthfully, Neil thought he was kind of a dick. But he  definitely didn’t seem very scary. Perhaps he’d been expecting a creepy old man who wore  three-piece suits in his house or an aging crone who smelled like herbs and potpourri. Not a grouchy goth guy with piercings and award worthy apathy.

Shaking off thoughts of the owner, Neil went to work. He left for an hour and returned with plants for the beds from the nearest nursery. Their selection wasn’t the  greatest, but he’d picked items that would flourish though the fall and into early winter. The purples, yellows and greens looked good against the dark colors of the house and stone and he chose a dark color mulch to surround the new bushes. 

At one o’clock Andrew waved him inside from the porch. The foyer opened immediately to the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right, though it was partially obscured by the upper and lower cabinets. When he closed the door behind  him he could see the shadow of Andrew milling around and  heard the sound of the refrigerator door opening. Turning the corner into the kitchen itself, he saw there was a platter on the table with several small sandwiches and a basket full of various teabags and pods that fit the Keurig. After a solid fifteen seconds of staring at each other it was clear Andrew had no intention of making small talk, so Neil pointed to one of the teabags. Andrew in turn handed him a mug and plucked the kettle from the stove to pour it over the tea. Neil swiped a couple  sandwiches and they ate in silence, the only sound to keep the company was the faint melody of what sounded like a record player pumping classical music from another room. As he finished his second cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, Neil spotted another doll propped in the corner of the kitchen counter, settled behind two half-full, glass cookie jars. His eyes darted between the doll and Andrew, who followed his gaze. When he turned his hazel eyes back to Neil there was almost a  challenge in them – daring Neil to ask. He picked up a pimento cheese sandwich instead and kept his eyes focused on his tea. 

Once the sandwiches were devoured, Andrew dropped the platter in the sink and put on another pot of boiling water. He slid onto one of the bar stools and picked up a pair of glasses in one hand and a book in the other. The frames were dark gold and round and Neil thought they might look silly on anyone else but were really working with Andrew’s dark, librarian aesthetic he seemed to have going on. Once the glasses were situated on his nose, Andrew ran a hand through his blonde hair that was several shades lighter gold than the metal. His eyebrows also seemed fair. A natural blonde then? Neil forced himself to look away, finishing the last dregs of his tea. When had he become so interested in people appearances? 

Trying to direct his attention elsewhere, Neil looked around the house. It appeared as it did the first time he’d been inside, though the curtains were all open today, letting in natural light. It was still dim though, only the pendant lights hanging in the kitchen adding to the afternoon sun. One curious thing he did notice was that there weren’t any pictures in sight. Where the house looked lived in, most places Neil had been inside had photos on the walls or tables – cataloging the lives of the people who lived there. Dan and Matt’s house was covered in them. Even Neil had a picture of the three of them on his nightstand. He drummed his fingers on the counter as he surveyed the space, squinting around the rooms. Andrew must have noticed because when Neil turned  back, he was staring over the top of his glasses, book held limply in his hand. 

“Problem?” he asked. 

Neil picked up his mug for something to do and realized it was empty.  Instead, he tried to deflect being caught analyzing someone  else's living space by changing the subject. 

“I think you have...rats,” said Neil, finally meeting Andrews eyes.

“Rats?” 

“In the barn,” Neil explained. “I didn’t go inside or anything. I just...heard stuff.”

Andrew watched him impassively for another moment before looking back down at the novel, turning the page. “I doubt it was rats you heard.”

🕸

** October 3 ** ** rd **

Neil didn’t bother knocking on his next visit, not wanting to disturb Andrew at the early hour of 10:06 am.  Instead he immediately went to work placing stone blocks around the front beds. Eventually he would have to dig up the old broken stones that were once a path from the door to the side-road, but that would be for another day. 

Around noon, Andrew wandered out. He looked more casual this time, in a pair of baggier dark jeans and loose, long-sleeved shirt. He had a bottle of some fancy looking beer in hand and he watched Neil with open curiosity as he worked in silence, sometimes humming to himself. When Neil paused to re-tie the bandana around his forehead, he quirked a brow at the man standing just a few feet away. Andrew held out the beer in offering. 

“No thanks ....I’m working?”

Andrew shrugged and turned to walk around the side of the house. 

Fifteen minutes later Neil found himself staring down at the back beds with Andrew at his side. He’d been told not to touch them, but they clearly needed attention. Apparently, Andrew wanted to keep several of the plants and pointed them out. Neil admitted he didn’t know what they were but promised to be careful and just weed around them. As he dropped to his knees to get to work, Andrew pointed at them again, rattling off the common name and species of each. Neil sat back on his heels to look up at Andrew, mildly impressed. 

“They were here when I moved in. I bought a book and looked it up. Most of them anyways,” explained Andrew. 

Huh. Just another strange layer to Andrew’s personality Neil was slowly unraveling, he supposed. 

🕸

** October 10 ** ** th **

“This is amazing ....are you a chef or something?” Neil asked after swallowing a  mouthful of what could only be described as a gourmet pizza. 

Andrew paused mid-bite, the freak was eating it with a fork and knife, and chewed thoroughly before answering. “I worked at a restaurant during undergrad, but only did food prep. Most of my culinary interest is recent. I have been on the road for years without much access to a kitchen.”

Deciding to take the small piece of conversation as an open door to Andrew’s mysterious life, Neil pressed on, asking question after question. Nothing too private, but enough to keep it interesting. Surprisingly, Andrew engaged him, if a little tersely. Neil suspected he wasn’t used to talking about himself with relative strangers. 

An hour later Neil had learned that Andrew grew up in foster care in California, moving to South Carolina as a teen to move in with the brother he didn’t knew he had. He’d been contacted by an attorney after his birth mother died in a car accident and had left him as a beneficiary on her life insurance. They were then raised by their cousin, Nicky, who now lived in Germany with his husband. Andrew admitted that he left again for school and had only come back recently so he could be closer to his brother’s family since they now had young children. 

Neil talked a little about his own past – well, the cliff-notes version anyways. He told Andrew about growing up in Baltimore. How his mother had left with him when he was still a child and how both of his parents had died as a teen. How he’d fallen in with Matt and the landscaping business but came to really enjoy the work. 

Just as Neil was headed back to the door to collect his boots and continue working, two cats made an appearance at the end of the hall where the stairs led to the second floor. Neil crouched and tried to tempt them to come to him with a quiet ‘ psspsspssp ’ but they sat down on the wood floor and stared. 

Andrew pointed at them in turn, a dark tortoiseshell on the right with bright green eyes, and a fluffy white and black monster on the left with half an ear missing and yellow orbs. 

“Dumb, and dumbass,” he explained. 

Neil snorted and opened the door, vowing to make friends with the felines at some point. He liked cats. Matt was always telling him he should get one so he wouldn’t be holed up in his apartment alone all the time. But Neil still had his reservations. He’d barely been a sufficient caretaker for himself, let alone something else. Well, something else that wasn’t a plant at least. It seemed like a lot of responsibility. Still. Maybe one day. It would be nice to have something alive to share his living space. 

🕸

** October 17 ** ** th **

The noise was back. Louder again. Neil heard it over the sound of the rake scraping against the grass as he tried to gather the leaves from a large oak tree that hung over the backyard into a manageable pile. He paused to listen. The screaming. Loud and long and pained. Just as he turned towards the barn, Andrew pushed open the back door. He had a pack of clove cigarettes in hand and was tapping them  against his palm, boots heavy as he descended the stone steps towards the yard. Neil dropped the rake and marched over, his straw hat flying off at the sudden movement. He pinched sleeve of Andrew’s shirt and tugged him towards the barn. The blond didn’t object or resist. He followed Neil willingly until they were paused in front of the barn doors. Andrew stared at him and Neil looked back and forth between Andrew and the doors. The sound came again, louder this time, now that they were so close. The yowl was immediately followed by a hissing sound and a crash. Andrew reached out and pushed open the door. No fewer than five cats scattered behind hay bales and old, rusted farm equipment. 

Neil stared blankly at the interior of the barn, now empty and still. He willed his heart rate down to a reasonable tempo and was dragged back to calm reality at the sound of a lighter flicking to life next to him. Andrew lit a cigarette and took a drag, blowing smoke upwards into the air. He turned to look at Neil, face as impassive as ever. 

“So the sounds I heard before.....” 

“Were the cats,” Andrew finished, taking another drag. 

Neil tried not to lean towards the scent. He hadn’t bought a pack in years, having given up the habit when he could barely afford to buy ramen. He never smoked them anyways, the smell just reminded him of his mother. Though the distinctive smell of cloves was new and Neil watched Andrew flick the stick in his hand, noticing for the first time that his nails were painted black today. Fitting. 

His eyes snapped up when Andrew lifted the cigarette again.

Neil shook his head. “But it sounded....demonic. Like screaming or like...”

“ _ Fucking _ .”

“....What?” Neil blinked at him. 

Andrew’s lip twitched as he pulled the stick away again and blew smoke, this time in Neil’s face. He wasn’t smiling but looked amused. “They were probably fucking. Little shits. I keep trapping and having them fixed but new ones keep showing up. It’s a goddamn petting zoo in there.”

“You have cats...” Neil deadpanned, still trying to wrap his mind around this new development.

Andrew huffed. “I do not  _ have  _ them. They just are. They were already here. I’ve tried to keep the population down but it’s an uphill battle.” 

“So the cats in your house...”

“...used to be feral,” said Andrew. “They are the only ones that I’ve been able to coax into the house so far.”

“So far...” Neil muttered under his breath, his lips curling up into a grin. 

After a few moments Andrew’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“You know, everyone thinks you’re some sort of ....cryptid ...serial killer witch man.”

The next time Andrew huffed, smoke blew from his nose and his mouth twitched upwards again. He seemed unsurprised and unbothered by the  locals assessment of his person. “And?”

“And you’re just a crazy cat lady,” Neil said, the grin still plastered on his face. 

Andrew glared at him without any heat and flicked his cigarette at Neil. Neil laughed, stamping it out once it hit the ground and followed Andrew. Instead of going inside he walked over towards the massive pile of leaves Neil had accumulated over the last hour. He kicked an acorn into the pile and it disappeared beneath red leaves. 

Swiping his hat from the ground, Neil plopped it back on his head, surveying the colorful, fallen foliage. “I love oak trees. They’re beautiful. But they do make a mess.”

Without comment, Andrew turned, held his hands out to his sides, and fell back into the pile. He nearly disappeared beneath the leaves and Neil was torn between a strange giddiness at the childish display and annoyance that he’d have to rake them up again. Amusement won out and he resisted picking up a pile and tossing it on top of Andrew to bury him completely. 

“Really?” he asked, smirking. “Ruining all my hard work.”

A hand reached up and snatched his wrist. Before Neil could register what was happening, he was falling. He twisted to his side so he wouldn’t land on top of Andrew and tumbled into the pile with a laugh. They spent a few minutes throwing leaves in each other's faces like a couple of grade schoolers before laying back and starting up at the pale blue sky through the looming branches and remaining leaves. Their breath calmed and neither seemed to have any intention of moving any time soon. It was...peaceful. 

Neil went rigid for a moment when he felt a hand in his hair. His hat had fallen off again, buried under the pile he would have to fish out later, and his curls were barely contained by the bandana around his head. Andrew pinched the locks between his fingers and looked at it intently. Hazel eyes flicked down and met blue and neither looked away. 

“You match...” Andrew breathed, finally letting his hand drop away with a small tug. 

For some reason Neil’s cheeks felt warm...his whole body felt warm despite the cool leaves at his back and the comfortable October weather. He quirked his head to the side in question and Andrew plucked a reddish-brown leaf from the pile and held it up by the stem.  _ Oh _ . His hair. 

Neil took the leaf from him, their fingers brushing as the short stem passed between them. It took a monumental effort for Neil to tear his gaze away from Andrew to look up at the thing. A long moment passed before Neil let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“You’re...surprising....” said Neil. 

He could feel Andrew shift next to him but kept examining the leaf. He wasn’t sure if he looked at Andrew again, that he’d be able to look away.

🕸

Neil drove back to the office that night in a daze. He’d never met anyone like Andrew before. He was all hard edges and cold exterior, but every time Neil glimpsed something real behind the mask it was warm...inviting...secure. 

Matt was already gone for the  day so Neil logged in just to take care of his timecard and type up the work detail for the day. When he opened his  inbox an email was waiting. Apparently, Andrew had called the office to extend the contract to two days a week until the winter. Neil  replied back to Matt that it would be fine and didn’t realize he was smiling until he turned off the computer and caught his reflection in the blank screen. He wasn’t completely sure why his visits to Moriyama Manor were the highlight of his  week, but he didn’t want to question it. Neil pulled his phone from his pocket and opened Andrew’s contact. It had been in the  contract but he hadn’t used it yet to contact him. With his lip bitten between his teeth, Neil typed out ‘See you Friday!’ and hit send. Friday couldn’t come soon enough.

🕸

** October 23 ** ** rd **

Arriving bright and early for his first Friday workday at the manor, Neil spent the first few hours hauling mulch to set around the base of various trees on the property – including those lining the driveway. For some reason Andrew joined him, wearing a pair of black joggers and a matching tank top. His arms were clad with black bands and Neil found himself a little distracted watching Andrew’s arms bulge and sweat drip down his neck while he carried the heavy bags down the gravel drive. Neil was muscular, but lean.  All of his physique came from manual labor and the long runs he took to clear his mind. But Andrew’s looked intentional. Neil quietly wondered if he was hiding a home gym somewhere in the house. 

When they moved to the backyard Neil spotted another corn husk doll sitting on the fence. It was further down than he’d ventured, other than when he cut the grass, so he had no idea how long it had been there. When they stopped for lunch in the afternoon Neil finally asked about them. Andrew explained that he bought a set of them, one dozen from a roadside stand in Nevada when he was traveling. He planned to give them to his  nieces , but after his brother called them ‘ _ creepy as fuck _ ,’ he decided not to. 

“Uncultured swine. He has no appreciation of Native American art.”

“Okay but why do you keep leaving them all over the property,” asked Neil, taking another sip of lavender lemonade. 

“I use them to scare off unwanted guests. So, I guess Aaron was mildly correct in his assessment.”

Neil tapped his finger on the counter, remembering Matt’s recollection of the previous landscapers from another company who had quit. “But didn’t you need them to do the work? Why chase them off?”

Andrew leaned across the counter into Neil’s space. “They guys they were sending were assholes. One of them yelled at the cats.”

He could feel himself starting to smile and did nothing to prevent the expression from blooming. “So. ..rather than lodge a complaint with the company like any logical human behavior would dictate, you decided to creep them out and make them think you would curse them or something until they quit?” 

“Obviously,” smirked Andrew, holding his stare. 

“Obviously,” Neil repeated.

🕸

  
**October 24** **th**

As much as he was looking forward to seeing Andrew two days in a row, dragging himself out of bed the following day was a chore. He was sore, but that was normal. Most of the problem lay in his lack of sleep the night before. He’d been having nightmares again. They had gotten better with time but sometimes, especially as winter approached, they seemed to creep into his subconscious and take root like an invasive tree species. Luckily, he knew the day wouldn’t be as much manual labor as it would be picking out planters for the porch and new pavers for the walkway. The day before, Andrew suggested they go to the garden center and pick them out together. 

Almost as soon as he arrived, Andrew made him move his truck so he could back his own beast of a car out of the garage. It was sleek, black, and expensive looking. 

“You don’t really want to use that thing to pick up  supplies do you?” Neil asked, incredulous. 

“Well I'm sure as fuck not getting in that death trap with you,” he replied, eyeballing Neil’s truck. 

Neil clucked his tongue, but ultimately his exhaustion won out and he dropped into the passenger seat without too much complaint. It was nearly an hour-long journey to get there. Andrew opted to go to the larger location that was a little further away. They rolled the windows down on the drive and the cool breeze was refreshing as it blew through Neil’s fingers on the edge of the door. Andrew had stereo on, it was playing some sort of heavy, electronic metal. Mostly in English but sometimes in German, and Neil couldn’t help  think it was in stark contrast to the classical music that he usually played at home. But nearly everything about Andrew was a contradiction so he didn’t bother being surprised. Like every moment he spent with Andrew, Neil felt an overwhelming sense of calm. Neil snorted loudly at one of the lyrics and Andrew asked him if he spoke German. Neil replied with a practiced accent he’d somehow never lost and returned the question. Andrew replied in kind. That surprised him a little.

At some point he must have nodded off because when he opened his eyes they were  parked and Andrew was leaning down and looking at him through his open window. 

“You okay?” asked Andrew, his mouth drawing into a frown. 

“I’m fine...” Neil said, opening the door. “Just a little tired.”

Andrew hummed and moved back around to roll up the windows. Neil rubbed sleep out of his eyes while they made their way into the garden center, the smell of flora mixed with the artificial scents of fall décor assaulting their senses. Before they entered, Andrew bought them both iced coffee from the stand outside and Neil gratefully accepted the gift of caffeine.

They browsed for so long Neil lost track of time. Andrew had his hands in his pockets, casting an indifferent gaze over everything and pointing when he wanted something added to the trolley. Neil finally began to wake up and didn’t hold back the urge to touch everything. He caught Andrew watching his fingers on more than one occasion as he dragged them through flowers, stems, or the fabric of gaudy Halloween decorations. Though he was probably looking at the scars that littered the back of his tanned skin. 

After two hours Andrew sent one of the  sales clerks off with their very full trolley to hold everything at checkout while he looked at the remaining décor. Neil turned around from where he had been examining an animatronic jack-o-lantern to see Andrew with an obnoxiously large purple and black witch hat perched on his head and a straw broom in his hand he’d confiscated from a life-size doll. He laughed out loud while Andrew stared back, unmoved. 

“Really?” he laughed. 

“You have to give the people what they want, Neil,” answered Andrew, expression completely serious. 

That, of course, only made Neil laugh harder. The noise startled a woman walking by and her small purse-dog started yapping from  its carrier. They both eyed her until she walked away, looking affronted. 

Andrew piled some of the items into another cart and started to push it away, plucking the hat from his head and dropping it onto Neil’s as he walked by. 

🕸

** October 30 ** ** th **

Through the rest of the week Neil continued to have sleepless nights. By Tuesday he tried running ten miles to beat his subconscious into submission with exercise. But it seemed no matter how exhausted his body was, his mind wouldn’t let go of the demons that plagued him at night. Visions of blood and pain and knives. Hands crawling over his skin with the intent to torture and maim. Visions of a car burning on a black sand beach, cool bones in his bleeding hands as he dug deep enough into the sand to bury them. He hadn’t seen his father in more than a decade since he’d been shot and killed by the FBI on a raid that nearly claimed Neil’s life as well, but the memory of him lingered. 

On Friday, he was still tired and subdued. Matt had forced him to the doctors on Wednesday and refused to let him come back to work until he got checked out. Predictably, it was just exhaustion and Neil managed to talk Matt into letting him do light duties – restricting him from hauling gravel at their Thursday job. He easily could have taken the weekend off. He knew Andrew would have been okay with it. But he needed to keep moving if he didn’t want his thoughts catching up to him. 

All the items they purchased from the store the week before had been delivered and Andrew helped Neil clear the grass and lay the new pavers to create a new walkway to the porch. He must have sensed Neil’s tiredness because he carried most of their conversation instead of relying on Neil to do so. 

Andrew talked a little about his work. He was a writer, apparently – suspense novels. Though he wouldn’t divulge his  pen-name or any titles and Neil vowed to figure out which of the many  tomes in his house were his own works. He must have been successful though. He drove an expensive car, purchased the land outright and had the option to travel for so long. And he’d obviously dropped a lot of cash on fixing up the house once he’d purchased it. Neil tried to parse all the details. The glasses, the cooking, the piercings, his impressive build and the way he could rattle off the names of plants. The feral cats he took care of and the way the glasses tended to slide down his nose when he read. The fact that the only liquids in his house seemed to be coffee, tea, imported beer and expensive whisky. The fact that he had nieces and moved back to the middle of nowhere to be closer to his  family yet Neil had never seen him talk to another person willingly – not even on the phone. Andrew was...so many things. He was probably the most interesting person Neil had ever met. 

Suddenly, Neil felt very self-conscious. He wondered how Andrew had tolerated him the last month. Neil had nothing. Was nothing. Okay...sure. He had a couple of good friends who were also his coworkers. And he could pay his bills. But other than running he had no hobbies. He had no useful anecdotes or opinions on most pop culture. He had no stories that were fit for civilized company, his past either being boring or the makings of a horror movie, full of blood and secrets. Why was someone like Andrew interested in being around him at all? He acutely felt undeserving of the companionship he’d been offered. 

Neil never expected to live past twenty. And here he was, a decade later....lost. He went home every night to a small studio apartment where the heat rarely worked in the winter and his neighbors often had loud fights he could hear through the walls. He had a truck that might die any minute. He’d been able to save a little, working for Matt the last few years. But not enough that he could focus on anything other than working and paying his bills. Andrew had lived at Moriyama Manor for eight months and it looked more like a home than Neil’s apartment he’d moved into five years ago. 

As he swept across the newly installed pavers, Neil glanced up at Andrew, who was now putting up some of the Halloween  decorations . He wished Andrew could share some of his secrets. Share how he’d managed to build a life for himself. Neil felt like he was still in survival mode when all he wanted was to live.

He was sprinkling grass seed when Andrew started to drape fake cobwebs between the beams on the porch. Neil paused with his hands on the seeder, leaning a little of his weight on the metal. 

“Why’d you bother with the fake stuff?” asked Neil. “You should just move that big-ass spider from your window.”

Andrew paused mid-reach to glare at him. “I will cut off the hands of anyone who moves Charlotte from her web. It took her months to make it across both panes.”

Neil walked over, ripping the hat and bandana from his head to run a hand through his hair. He used the bandana to wipe the sweat from his face and neck before leaning on the porch railing. 

“You named your porch-spider but not your cats?” he asked with a small smile. 

Andrew finished tacking the web to the top beam and jumped down from a stool, taking the first two steps down. He was taller than Neil for once. 

“I told you their names.”

Neil rolled his eyes. “I refuse to believe their names are dumb and dumbass.”

Andrew took another step down, so he was on the one right above Neil’s. He scrutinized Neil’s gaze and seemed to know his bluff had been called. He crossed his arms. 

“The tortoiseshell is named Sir Fat Cat  McCatterson and the tuxedo is King Fluffkins.”

Neil blinked. Andrew stared back. 

For the second time in a week, Neil laughed out loud. That was something else about Andrew. He’d never laughed so much around anyone, not really. When he straightened up Andrew took a step down until they were nearly eye level. This close, Neil noticed he was only a few inches taller in height. He also noticed that Andrew’s gaze had dropped to his mouth and Neil unconsciously licked his lips. Andrew’s eyes flicked up at the gesture and the laughter faded. He sobered quickly, breathing in the subtle cologne Andrew must have been wearing. It was tasteful, with a hint of spice. Neil thought he must smell horrendous in comparison – an amalgam of sweat and earth. But Andrew didn’t seem to notice. His eyes darted down to Neil’s lips again and back. Neil blinked slowly and for a moment was sure Andrew would kiss him. His spine straightened with something like anticipation at the thought. Or maybe anxiety. Not because it upset him, but because he thought if Andrew did try to kiss him...he would let him. Might even like it. Want it. Might even kiss him back.

Ultimately, Andrew reached up and pressed a hand to his cheek. Neil didn’t mean to lean into it but couldn’t help his eyes from fluttering closed momentarily. The warm palm only lingered for a second, and then Andrew swiped a smudge of dirt from Neil’s jaw and withdrew. 

“You look like shit,” Andrew said, stepping out of Neil’s space. The curious expression he’d worn only seconds before was replaced with apathy once more. “You should get some sleep.”

Taking a shuddering breath, Neil nodded. It was  late,  actually . An hour later than he usually stayed and nearly dark. 

“See you tomorrow?”

Andrew nodded and waved him away instead of letting him clean up. 

🕸

** October 31 ** ** st **

It was already 10:30 when Neil turned into the drive at Moriyama Manor. He was half an hour late, but after two nights of absolutely no sleep, it was a miracle he was upright at all. He downed the last dregs of his coffee and hustled towards the front of the house. Andrew must have cleaned up already though, because the equipment was gone, stacked neatly against the side of the house. He would have to apologize. He knew Andrew probably joined him out of boredom  sometimes, but he  _ was _ paying Neil to do a job after all. 

The blond emerged from the house just as Neil was unpackaging the solar lanterns. He nodded and Neil offered a wave, watching him sit on the swing with a mug in his hand before turning back to the task at hand. 

After lining the new path with black lanterns, Neil retrieved the pumpkins from his truck. The garden center had been  out when they visited the week before and Andrew hadn’t asked him to pick any up, but he felt like they were needed. Plus, it was already Halloween so he’d been able to pick up several from the grocery store that morning for a dollar each.

They were festive, matching the houses black exterior in perfect contrast. Andrew disappeared when he started cutting the grass but reappeared with several knives in hand as he turned the corner the third time. He was wearing faded jeans and a sweatshirt with paint stains. Neil couldn’t see what he was carving but by the time he’d put the mower away, two intricately carved jack-o-lanterns sat on each side of the porch steps. The characters were foreign to Neil but the knife-work was impeccable. Clearly done by someone who knew what they were doing. He would have to ask Andrew about that later. 

While Andrew went inside to put the knives away, Neil tossed the pumpkin guts and sat on the porch steps, finishing a bottle of water in record time. It was blissfully cool at least and he pulled his hat and bandana away to let the air tickle his hair. He was leaning back on the steps when Andrew came back outside a few minutes later. He was in a change of clothes and had two glasses of the lavender lemonade. Neil gulped it down when offered and Andrew quirked a brow. Neil had previously admitted to liking the drink though it was too sugary for him to drink in larger quantities so it must have been strange to watch him chug it all. 

Andrew didn’t bother sitting and put his glass on the railing. “You still haven’t slept.”

He didn’t sound angry or accusatory, but his brows were knitting together in a strange expression Neil hadn’t seen before. 

“I’m fine,” he said. 

The eyebrows shot up. “Liar”

“I’ll  _ be _ fine...” Neil reiterated. Standing to get back to work.

Unfortunately, his statement wasn’t very convincing as he wobbled and had to grab onto the railing to keep his footing. Andrew’s hand shot out at the same time and curled around his shoulder. Neil took a deep breath, Andrew stared. But when Neil tried to leave the hand on his shoulder held him still. And then it turned over, waiting to be taken. 

Neil looked at him curiously but took Andrew’s hand. Andrew pulled him up the stairs and into the house. He held onto Neil’s arm while Neil pulled his boots off and dropped them onto the floor mat. And then he waited. 

Andrew took a step back once he was upright again. “Shower and take a nap. I am not having you collapse on my property and sue me or something.”

“I wouldn’t...I won’t,” he said, frowning and looking down at his socked feet. They were stained green from grass. “I’m really fine...sorry. I’ll call Matt and let him know I’m leaving early.”

Andrew caught his wrist before he could turn to the door. “You are not driving like that. You can barely stand.”

It was true. He’d been swaying on the spot since they’d stepped inside. Maybe he could nap in his truck for a couple hours?

Neil reached up and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. 

“Just get cleaned up and go to the guest room,” Andrew continued. “I’ve got some work to do anyways so just take the rest of day off. You can leave when you’re not about to be blown over by a stiff wind.”

Neil silently weighed his options. Andrew was right...it probably wasn’t responsible to drive. And if he called Matt the man would baby him and probably  insist he  move in with them until he felt better.  So, what could the harm be really...sleeping for a couple hours until he got his baring's again? He certainly felt tired enough to sleep. 

He nodded. 

Leading him towards the bathroom behind the kitchen, Andrew closed the door once he was inside. Before he could strip off anything more than his socks, there was a knock. Andrew handed him a set of clothes through the crack. 

“Towels are on the rack. Don’t fucking pass out in my tub.”

Neil let out a weak chuckle and muttered a promise to stay conscious. He showered quickly and dressed in the borrowed clothes. It was probably weird to wear another  guys boxer briefs but everything seemed  clean so it was probably fine. 

When he shuffled back into the living room Andrew was there. He was on the couch with his laptop on his thighs and his glasses on his nose. He pointed to the closed door at the other side of the room. 

“The door locks. I’ll wake you up before dinner.”

Yawning a thank you, Neil stepped into the room and did lock the door behind him. His exhausted mind didn’t have time to process whether Andrew’s comment was an invitation to stay for food later. Instead, the only invitation he was currently interested in was the cloud of a bed, draped in clean white sheets and a heavy, mustard colored comforter. He fell face first into the plush surface and it took a minute to drag his limbs under the blankets. But once he  did he drifted off in minutes, into a dreamless sleep. 

🕸

Neil woke just as quickly as he’d fallen asleep. Though it wasn’t to Andrew knocking quietly as promised. A loud crashing sound emitted from the next room, followed by a string of colorful swear words insulting the  cats parentage. Judging by the dim light peeking around the corner of the window and the clock on the bedside table, he’d been asleep just shy of four hours and already felt a little less fatigued. Kicking his legs over to the side, Neil pushed himself out of the warm bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes instead of burrowing farther into the sheets. He smoothed down the black, borrowed  henley and joggers and pushed his way into the main room. 

The intricate light attached to the fan overhead and end tables cast the room in a soft, yellow glow, but he immediately saw the point of Andrew’s ire. Next to the wide windowsill, a spider plant was smeared across the floor, dirt everywhere and its clay container in pieces. In the corner, King sat flicking her tail and eyeing her owner (caretaker?) as he tried to sweep up the mess. Andrew eyed him as he stepped into view.    
  
“Sleeping beauty awakens,” murmured Andrew, going back to the mess on the floor. 

Wandering over to help, Neil bent down to reach for the dustbin. Andrew’s hand shot out to grab his ankle, squeezing once.    
  
“No,” he said, looking up. “Go make tea or something. Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

Blue eyes tracked down to the hand clamped around the unfamiliar, soft fabric of the borrowed sweatpants and he nodded, too groggy to argue or even wonder what the hell he was still doing in his employers' home. 

In the kitchen, Neil reached for the cabinet he’d seen Andrew open half a dozen times and pulled down a tin can. Andrew had a lot of tea. And coffee. And double the amount of fancy hot chocolate. As he peered into the open can, he spotted a couple bags with no labels. They seemed to be handmade. Sure, why not. Neil had never liked surprises before but how harmful could a few tea leaves be? 

He drummed his fingers on the counter behind him and watched the water come to a boil in the clear kettle. Andrew was still sweeping up King’s mess so Neil left the tin out for him so he could pick out his own when he was finished. When kettle sang, he lifted it from the stove and turned off the burner, getting a whiff of whatever was roasting in the oven. Given that he’d only eaten a sad bowl of cereal that morning, his stomach began to react embarrassingly loudly at the thought of food in the near future.

Just as Andrew came over with a dustbin full of dirt and clay pieces to dump into the trash, Neil skirted around him towards the living room with his tea. He blew on it slowly and sank into the comfortable cushions of the couch. Andrew dropped down next to him, an empty spot still between them.  Usually, he seemed to prefer one of the larger armchairs. Neil had caught him laying on it in awkward positions with a novel in hand on several occasions. Instead, he leaned against the far armrest of the couch and prodded Neil’s thigh with his bare toes, a blond brow shooting up to disappear behind his bangs. 

“I slept,” Neil said, answering Andrew’s silent but clear question. “I do feel a little better.”

Andrew seemed to accept that and snatched the remote from the coffee table. The TV mounted above the fireplace clicked to life and after a few moments of channel surfing, he let it stop on some kids Halloween movie. They sat in silence for almost half an hour – Andrew, mouthing the words to the script on the screen as though he knew it by heart, Neil staring unabashedly. In his mind he pressed yet another piece of the puzzle that was Andrew Minyard into place. 

“What?” asked the blond, not even looking at Neil. 

But he knew he was caught. He smiled and reluctantly dragged his eyes back to the television. “Nothing.”

A few seconds later the timer on the oven beeped shrilly and Andrew stood to attend to the food. He returned a few minutes later with two plates full of roasted vegetables and chicken thighs in some sort of balsamic glaze. It was delicious and Neil even ate the mushrooms, which he normally would have scraped right into the bin. Just as he was setting his plate aside the credits on the movie began to roll and Andrews phone skittered across the table with a text. 

Neil collected their plates to take to the kitchen as Andrew checked the message. He wandered in just as Neil was loading them into the dishwasher. 

“My brother will be here in five minutes.”

“Oh...” said Neil, nodding one time too many and heading out of the kitchen towards the bedroom. “Oh, okay yea. I’ll just...”

“You don’t have to go,” said Andrew, following after him. 

Auburn brows dug together and Neil cocked his head to the side a little, picking up the pile of clothes on the bed. “Won’t that like...I don’t know, be weird?”

Andrew only shrugged. “Aaron’s known me a long time. I assure you this will not be the strangest thing he’d encountered.”

He continued to gather his things but moved slower, his back to Andrew. 

“They are not staying,” Andrew continued, leaning on the frame. “They’re just coming so the girls can show me their costumes and get candy. Then they’re driving to one of those rich people neighborhoods where they give out the good shit.”

Neil set the pile back on the bed, turning to face the blond. “You’re rich.”

“No,” Andrew said. “I’m a cryptid serial killer witch man. Do you really want to leave me alone on all hallows eve? What if I put a spell on the  town. Can never be too sure, with a full moon out.”

Neil smiled in amusement before he could get a handle on his expression. He followed it up by narrowing his eyes at Andrew in mock suspicion. “Fine. But if you shed your skin or try to bite me or something I’m leaving.”

Andrew folded his arms, eyes going dark for just a moment before they turned honey again. “You sure about that?”

Neil opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again, but before he could say anything Andrew turned away and headed back towards the living room, leaving Neil to subconsciously smooth down the borrowed shirt and run a hand through his sleep-wild tresses. His ears suddenly felt hot and his stomach flopped strangely but the distinct sound of a car rolling up gravel driveway made him ignore the new feeling and follow Andrew. 

The door opened and Neil immediately did a double-take. Andrew hadn’t mentioned that his brother was a carbon copy of himself, right down to the customarily blank expression that made up his resting bastard face. His brother, Aaron, was wearing a white lab coat with a real stethoscope draped around his neck. And the woman who was presumably Aaron’s wife was clad in some sort of black spandex bodysuit. She had a pair of cat ears perched on her head and a tail pinned to the back of the suit, uneven whiskers drawn on her face. Her hair was a few shades darker than Aaron and Andrews but the girls standing just in front of the couple matched the twins right down to their little matching scowls. One was rubbing her eyes and Neil surmised they may have been woken from naps recently. But they lit up when Andrew crouched down to greet them. He complimented their outfits, a racecar driver and a ladybug, and pretended not to know which of them was which though he clearly did. The girls giggled like they’d pulled the most amazing prank in the world and he reached out to ruffle both of their golden curls. Aaron, who had started to wear a content smile the moment Andrew started speaking to the kids, finally noticed Neil, standing across the room. His eyes flicked back down a second later when Andrew invited them inside so he could guide his children across the threshold. The woman seemed to notice Neil then and slipped out from behind the kids to step closer. 

“Oh! I’m sorry, we didn’t know you had a guest,” she said, looking between Neil and Andrew. 

“This is Neil,” Andrew said, by way of explanation. He closed the door and ignored his  brothers suspicious looks. 

“Your gardener?” asked Aaron, sounding somewhere between amused and wary.

Neil stepped forward and offered his hand, muttering a greeting to the strangers. The woman, Katelyn, as she introduced herself, took it with a firm shake. Aaron hesitated but took his hand as well. The girls watched him curiously and having no idea how to interact with children, Neil only offered a small, awkward wave. Andrew looked like he wanted to roll his eyes at the gesture but somehow managed not to.  Instead, he retrieved treat bags from the end table and handed them to the girls, Krysta and Kacy. They yanked apart the top closure in record time and started examining their bounty – an acid green candy apple and a large ball of what looked like chocolate, both wrapped in clear foil. 

“Oh  woooow , what is that monstrosity?” asked Katelyn, her voice tight with mom-concern and clearly trying not to confiscate the confections on site. 

Andrew turned and mouthed ‘dentist’ at Neil, who hid his grin behind his hand with a little cough. 

Aaron gave his brother a flat look as he explained. 

“It’s a hot chocolate bomb,” he said, mostly addressing the girls. “You put it in hot  milk and it melts into chocolate. There are marshmallows and chocolate chips inside.”

The twins exchanged a look and the one named Krysta reached out to tug her  fathers hand. “Daddy can we have it now? Puh-leaseeeeeee.”

“Yea can we have it now?” whined Kacy. 

Aaron crossed his arms in what was clearly a practiced dad stance. “Absolutely not. You’ll have to pee before we make it to the first house.”

Kacy put her hand on her hip. 

“ _ Actually _ ,” she said, stumbling a little on the word, “ _ This _ is the first house.”

Neil bit his lip and tried not to laugh. Andrew smiled. A real smile. It was small and  subtle and the first one Neil had seen him wear. It looked good on him, a little foreign but hard-earned. He briefly wondered what else might make Andrew smile.

Katelyn smiled as well, nudging her husband with her shoulder and dropping her forehead to the top of his head, biting back a laugh of her own. He sighed. 

“When we get  home you can have them and  _ five _ pieces of candy. That’s two more than you usually get. Deal?” he said, clearly trying to find a middle ground to prevent a tantrum.

Krysta and Kacy exchanged a look and seemed to have an entire conversation with their matching green eyes. They turned back to their father, nodding in tandem and said ‘Deal’ at the same time. It was a little spooky but also endearing. Neil wondered if Andrew and Aaron would have been like that if Andrew hadn’t grown up in foster care away from his twin. 

The thought sent him reeling and suddenly the moment felt too personal – like an intrusion on their privacy. He watched the girls curl around Andrew’s legs to thank him and he reached down again to pat their heads. 

“I’m going to make more tea...” Neil muttered, excusing himself. “It was nice to meet you.”

Katelyn chirped out a goodbye but Aaron just watched him go. 

Neil busied himself making another pot and grabbed another unmarked teabag. It was a little bitter but had a gingery aftertaste that he liked. He was still leaning against the counter when the door closed and footfalls fell upon the stone pavers outside, growing fainter with every step. Andrew appeared around the  corner, his own feet having been completely silent. Neil barely hid his flinch at the surprise. He tried to move out of the way for Andrew to open the upper cabinet but wasn’t quick enough. Andrew leaned against him, their chests brushing together lightly as the shorter man plucked a new mug from its resting place over Neil’s head. Andrew was warm and  solid and Neil’s heartbeat quickened, though it wasn’t from fear. Normally such an action would have triggered his flight or fight instincts, but now it was taking all he had not to lean into it. Neil held his breath unintentionally, fingers digging into the counter behind him, and Andrew must have noticed because he quirked a brow upwards and the corner of his mouth pulled when he moved back. He withdrew, but only to take the kettle off the burner before it started singing. Neil went for the kettle, Andrew pulled the milk from the from the fridge and heated it up in the microwave. Just as Neil finished dipping his new teabag into the cup, Andrew dropped one of the chocolate balls into the mug. 

“Your family seems nice,” Neil said, clearing his throat a little as he took a sip of his too-hot tea. “I can see why you’d want to spend time with them.”

Andrew hummed but his attention was on the melting confection turning his drink a foamy brown while little marshmallows oozed to the surface. He gave it a stir and then lifted it to his face to blow on it. The tentative sip left behind a little chocolate mustache that clinger to his stubble and Neil had the urge to lick it away. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Andrew’s tongue flicked up to clean his lip before Neil could do anything to embarrass himself. 

A loud rustling sound from the living room startled the  both of them from their obvious staring and they headed out of the kitchen. Sir seemed to have found the now empty plastic bag that once held the treat bags and was shuffling it across the floor like it was the best toy ever invented. King was watching with suspicion, perched on the back of the chair. Neil dropped onto the couch to watch the feline  shenanigans but Andrew disappeared back into the kitchen for a several minutes. The cats left a few moments later since the sound of dry cat food being poured into bowls drew the  animals attentions. Andrew came back with a large metal tub in his arms and sat down next to Neil. Popping the lid revealed it to be three types of fancy popcorn separated by dividers. 

Without any discussion, Andrew flicked off the table lamp and the overhead light (which was apparently linked to a remote) and channel surfed to find another movie. They sipped their drinks and ate the popcorn in silence. Neil mostly stuck to the plain popcorn, which Andrew referred to as a ‘waste of space,’ while Andrew made a dent in a caramel corn. Occasionally their knuckles brushed whenever they both went for the section of white cheddar and Neil was glad for the darkness because he could feel the heat in his cheeks. 

The movie they settled on was what Matt would probably call a ‘classic,’ though his knowledge of its history would be where it ended since Matt couldn’t watch anything remotely scary without having to leave halfway through and spend the next several days jumping at his own shadow. But it was old, 70’s or 80’s based on the clothing, and there was an old white house that slowly drove its occupants insane. It was boring, really. Neil had enough horror in his past that most movies seemed campy and unrealistic. He tried to pay attention but found himself, more often than not, watching Andrew’s profile. His hair flickered green whenever the light from the television was particularly bright and his  adams apple bobbed interestingly whenever he swallowed. 

After his next solid thirty seconds of staring, Neil was caught and quickly reached for his tea. 

“So....” he said casually, trying to pretend he hadn’t been noticed. “Is this what you usually do on Halloween?”

Andrew paused with a piece of caramel-corn halfway to his mouth. He lowered his hand and shifted in his seat so he was half facing Neil. 

“This is the first one I’ve had,” Andrew explained. “At least the first that didn’t involve drunken dormmates in confusingly slutty costumes.”

Neil set his drink down so he could turn in his seat as well. “Oh. It just...seemed like you had, I don’t know, traditions...or something.”

Their knees tapped together as Andrew reached for the top of the tin, setting the tub on the coffee table. He leaned his side against the couch, arm splayed over the top of the cushion. His fingers just barely brushed the back of Neil’s neck as they settled. Neil shivered. 

“After grad school I moved around a lot,” said Andrew. “It did not leave a lot of time for celebrating holidays. Not that I ever cared for them anyways. But after the girls were born Aaron always sent me their pictures and said he hoped I could see them in their costumes in person one day. Katelyn has always really liked Halloween. Neither of us really did anything for it growing up but he wanted them to have what we didn’t.”

His hands were  sweaty, so Neil tucked them between his thighs, meeting Andrews softened expression. 

“I think they’re going to have amazing lives,” Neil admitted, and then grinned. “After all...their uncle can just hex anyone who gets on their nerves.”

Andrew’s faint smile  appeared and something swelled in Neil’s chest. Before he could think better of  it, he blurted “Were you going to kiss me?”

Andrew’s head tilted to the side a little. 

“Yesterday....” Neil clarified, “when we were outside. Were you going to kiss me?”

Neil chewed his lip. What the fuck was wrong with him? 

To his credit, Andrew didn’t seem surprised by the question. He straightened and looked Neil in the eye. 

“I considered it,” he said, slowly. 

“But you changed your mind?” Neil questioned. 

Someone on screen screamed but neither of them paid it any mind. 

“You didn’t seem...” Andrew started. “I didn’t want to presume.”

Turning so he was fully facing Andrew, Neil pressed one hand against the cushion and kept the other in his lap, curled into a fist. His knees pressed into Andrew’s thigh. 

“You can ask. If you don’t want to presume, I mean.”

That seemed to get Andrew’s attention and the hand on the couch slowly lifted to the back of Neil’s neck. Neil shuddered at the touch and closed his eyes for a second, opening them to see Andrew’s hazel orbs bright and focused, twin beacons in the dark, drawing him in like a moth to the flame. 

For a moment Andrew just ran his knuckles along the short hairs at Neil’s nape. Then his hand slid forward to curl around his throat, squeezing gently before moving up to cup his jaw. He could feel Andrew’s thumb rubbing against the stubble there as he drew Neil in just a little closer. 

“Yes or  no?” asked Andrew. 

“ _ Yes _ .”

The touch was a spark and the lit fuse shot down Neil’s spine and exploded to fireworks somewhere in his chest and gut. He’d kissed a few people in his life but never like this. Andrew was gentle and rough, strong and careful. He kissed Neil like it might be the last thing he would ever do. 

Unsure where to put his hands Neil leaned into the kiss, letting Andrew coax his mouth open and suck the tip of his tongue. Andrew’s piercing pressed against his own appendage and he groaned into it, panting for air that he was sure was irrelevant. As long as Andrew kept kissing him, breathing was surely something that was optional. 

Andrew’s other hand reached out for his and his fist unfurled. Briefly, their hands linked together until Andrew brought his fingers to blond hair. Neil twisted scared knuckles between the strands and tried not to pull too hard. 

Suddenly, Neil pulled back,  frantically glancing around as he remembered that first note Andrew left him.

“Wait...wait...” he said, putting a hand on Andrew’s chest to stop him chasing their last kiss. 

He regretted it instantly because Andrew looked startled. Neil quickly dragged his nails over Andrew’s collar. “It’s okay...sorry, I just. I remembered. About the cameras....”

Neil glanced around suspiciously but Andrew only rolled his eyes and pulled him back in. “That was a lie. The only cameras are outside. I just tell people that to prevent them from trying to steal.”

“Oh...okay...” Neil leaned back in. It took a few seconds but his suspicion disappeared as quickly as his inhibitions.

The kiss turned desperate, more teeth and tongue than lips and somehow Neil realized he was sitting in Andrew’s lap, straddling his thighs with his own knees pressed against the back of the couch. Andrew’s hands were on his hips, thumbs digging into his skin above his shirt. Neil gasped into the kiss, lips wet and sliding easily against Andrew’s. He peeled them away long enough to dip down and map a trail along Andrew’s jaw. The blond tipped his head to the side for better access and pulled Neil closer. 

That was when Neil realized he was painfully hard. Andrew’s arousal was evident below  him but it was his own erection, straining against the borrowed sweatpants and pressed into Andrew’s abdomen that startled him from his quest to cover every inch of Andrew’s face with his lips. 

Andrew rolled his own hips up slightly and Neil groaned loudly, burying the sound in Andrew’s neck. 

“Fuuuuck...” he said, heat rising even higher on his cheeks. “I’m sorry..I...this has never happened to me before.”

Pulling back enough to look at him, Andrew pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and smirked. 

“You’ve never had a boner before?” Andrew teased.

The huff that escaped was a little indignant and he tapped two fingers hard against Andrew’s neck. “No. I just mean...I’ve never been turned on because of another person before.”

Reaching up to grab his shoulders, Andrew pushed him back a little farther, searching his eyes. When Neil didn’t look at him, Andrew crooked a finger beneath his chin and tilted his face up. 

“You have never been with anyone before?” asked Andrew, not unkindly. 

Neil shook his head. 

“I mean...I’ve been...you know,” he gestured to his very apparent erection. “I just usually deal with it myself or wait until it goes away. I can control it better. But right now...”

God this was so humiliating. He wasn’t a teenager anymore. He wasn’t even in his twenties anymore. 

“Do you want it to go away?” Andrew asked, the finger under Neil’s chin slid down his neck to hook in the collar of his shirt. 

Neil leaned forward and dropped his head to Andrew’s shoulder, turning to kiss his neck again. It was easier than looking at him. 

“Can you make it go away?” he mumbled, surprised he didn’t catch fire right then and there. 

Andrew’s hands were back at his waist and he squeezed twice. 

“ _ Neil. _ ”

His name was a question and concern all in one. Andrew wanted clear consent that this was what he wanted. 

Neil pressed another kiss to Andrew’s jaw. 

“I want you to touch me,” he said, firm and sure, and looked up to meet Andrew’s gaze despite his blood catching fire beneath his skin. 

With a single nod, Andrew surged forward to kiss him again. It was slower, practiced and perfect. His hands guided Neils hips through another roll and his fingertips dipped under Neil’s shirt, tugging on the hem. Neil tensed. Andrew withdrew again. 

“I have ....scars.. ” Neil said, biting down on Andrew’s ear between his small gauges and the tiny silver hoop around the middle of his ear. 

He wasn’t embarrassed by them, not anymore. Not really. But then again, he’d never been with anyone whose reaction he  actually cared about. What if they repulsed Andrew? What if he didn’t want to touch him anymore? 

Andrew’s fingers on his cheek surprised him and he gasped a little, pulling his lips away from the delicate skin under Andrew’s ear. 

“I never assumed they stopped here,” said Andrew, quietly, stroking along his cheek. 

The feather-light touches made him shiver and he nodded against Andrew, their foreheads bumping.

Andrew got hold of both of his hands and brought them to his mouth, kissing his knuckles and then his palms. 

When he let go Neil reached behind his back and tugged off his shirt before he could lose his nerve. Andrew didn’t even look – just ran his hands carefully along Neil’s torso, tracing lines of muscle forged in hard labor and years of running. 

When their chests were pressed together, mouths seeking each other’s heat, Andrew reached behind Neil and tugged up the sleeves on both of his arms. Then he reached up to take Neil’s arms, pulling them away from his neck and hair and guiding them so Neil’s fingers were pressed to the undersides of Andrew’s forearms and Andrew clamped under Neil’s elbows. 

Neil couldn’t help the surprise in his  eyes but it didn’t seem to bother Andrew, who just kissed him again as Neil scraped his fingertips along the thin layers of scars on Andrew’s arms. They explored each other for several long minutes, learning every dip and ridge and imperfection. The next time Neil pressed his hips forward Andrew met him halfway and he gasped into their kiss. 

“What do you want?” Andrew asked against his lips. 

“Anything you want to give...”

Andrew thumbed over his nipples and Neil’s dick twitched noticeably. 

“Fuck...” he said again, biting into Andrew’s jaw and leaving temporary teeth marks. 

Andrew hissed but pressed his head down further, seeming to enjoy the sensation. 

“Since  you're the one biting, maybe I should be the one who’s afraid...” he joked. 

“Hmm...” Neil hummed against his skin and licked over the marks. “Maybe you should be.”

Finally, Andrew’s hands drifted lower. They followed the shapeless mess of scars carved into him from road rash and landed on the elastic hem of his pants, snapping it. Then they dipped inside, brushing against the small patch of dark, wiry curls and the wet stain on the briefs. Andrew peeled back his underwear and sweats and Neil lifted his hips enough to let them slide past his ass. They were stretched awkwardly across his thighs and would probably hurt before too long, but when Andrew’s hand wrapped around his  cock he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Andrew seemed to be making a conscious effort not to look down, but swiped his thumb along Neil’s wet slit, spreading around pre-cum. His other hand he lifted, pressing two fingers against Neil’s mouth until Neil understood and opened for him. He sucked on Andrew’s fingers, holding his burning gaze while he swiped his tongue over the digits. When he pressed between them Andrew’s breath hitched and he pumped Neil’s dick once, squeezing the tip. Deciding his fingers were effectively lubed, Andrew withdrew his hand and pressed them along the underside of Neil’s cock, dragging them up. Neil groaned and squeezed Andrew’s shoulders encouragingly, pressing into his hands. After slicking him up, Andrew let one hand clamp around the naked crease along Neil’s thigh and began jerking him off in a slow, steady rhythm. 

Neil bounced a little on Andrew’s lap, keeping time with the motion of Andrew’s hand. Whenever he rolled forward, his balls pressed against Andrew’s cock and their pace stuttered a little, breathing quickening. It didn’t take long. Andrew was clearly not new to this. He slid his fist with surety; twisting and squeezing and making Neil fall apart, writhing against him. Neil’s hands were back in his hair, twisting and pulling him in for a kiss whenever he could manage the coordination. After what seemed like an eternity, Neil couldn’t stop the coiling in his stomach, the tightening in his thighs and balls. He looked away from Andrew’s eyes, squeezed his own shut and tried to make it last. But it all felt like too much. Andrew’s head ducked forward and licked along his chest, finding a nipple with his teeth. He flicked he bug with his tongue ring. Neil cried out and pressed his face against Andrew’s shoulder again. 

“Fuck....Oh fuck....Andrew...” he  whined; sound muffled against Andrew’s shirt. “I’m...”

Andrew only pulled quicker, tighter, rubbing his thumb over Neil’s slit on every upward motion until Neil tipped over the edge. He came with a cry, spilling between Andrew’s fingers and ruining Andrew’s shirt. His own chest smeared with sticky fluid and Andrew guided him through it, not letting go until Neil stilled and whimpered into his neck. 

Still breathing heavily, Andrew reached to grab Neil’s discarded shirt. He wiped off his hand and Neil’s chest and pulled him in for a bruising kiss that Neil was too euphoric to put much into. He was shivering but hot all over. In the background, the credits rolled on the movie. 

They kissed slowly while they caught their breath and when the neurons in Neil’s brain finally started firing again, he leaned back, flicking his eyes down. 

“Can I...” he looked back to Andrew. “Do you want...?”

Pushing up, Andrew’s cock ground into Neil’s crotch. But then he looked down and Neil followed his curious gaze. Andrew reached out and pressed a finger to Neil’s dick. It was still hard...or hard again. Either way, it bobbed between them like it hadn’t just had the best orgasm ever in Neil’s life. He frowned. Andrew poked him again and he moaned at the sensation, swatting Andrew’s hand away. 

“Has  _ that  _ ever happened to you before?” Andrew asked, gesturing down at his dick and looking far too amused. 

They both stared down at his cock. 

“No...” said Neil, brow creasing. “I mean... it's not even possible right? I thought you needed like...fifteen minutes or something.”

A few seconds later something like understanding clicked into place in Andrew’s expression. He leaned forward abruptly, one hand wrapping around Neil’s back. Neil yelped and clung to his shoulders at the sudden movement, trying not to topple backwards or moan at his shaft getting trapped between them and pressing again Andrew’s abs. 

When Andrew’s settled  again he had Neil’s half empty mug from his second cup of tea. He sniffed it. When that didn’t seem to satisfy him, Andrew swirled it a little in the glass. 

“Where did you get this?” he asked, arm tightening around Neil’s waist. 

Neil shrugged. “In one of the jars in the cabinet? Why? What's the tea got to do with anything?”

The blond stared into the cup for a few more seconds before taking a sip. He grimaced, probably at the lack of sweetener and how cold it had become. 

Andrew pulled away from Neil and leaned back on the couch, mug still in hand. “Idiot. This is damiana tea. It’s an  aphrodisiac .”

Blue eyes turned to saucers as he looked between Andrew and the mug. Clearly reading the rising panic, Andrew bounced him a little on his thighs, using his free hand to grab Neil’s wrist. “Calm down. It usually only lasts a few hours.”

His rabbit heartbeat started to settle and Neil twisted his hand into Andrew’s, threading their fingers together. 

“How often do you drink it, exactly?” asked Neil with a smirk.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Rarely. There isn’t often an occasion that calls for it.”

Both of Neil’s brows shot up and he brought his hand up to Andrew’s throat, finding his pulse. He drummed his finger along to the steady thrum of his blood pumping and leaned down, his smirk blooming into something  mischievous . 

“Well...” he said, letting go of their hands to drape both arms over Andrew’s shoulders. “Since this is entirely your fault for not labeling things...I guess you’ll just have to take responsibility for it.”

Andrew’s smile was slow blooming. Without breaking away from Neil’s darkened eyes, he brought the cup between them and downed the last of its contents. When the cup was safely nestled on the side table, empty, Andrew gathered Neil  into his arms and kissed him again. 

“I want to take you to bed...” Andrew whispered, breath hot against Neil’s ear as he sucked the lobe into his mouth. God that  _ fuckin _ _ g _ tongue ring. 

Neil’s breath hitched and he gave a hesitant nod. He wanted it more than anything in that moment, but it was entirely new  territory .

“We stop when one of us says stop,” Andrew amended. “Yes or no?”

“Yes...” Neil returned, cupping Andrew’s jaw to suck his lower lip between his teeth. “Besides. If I keep you occupied until midnight you can’t wreak havoc on the village...”

Andrew huffed a laugh and scooped Neil up in the same moment. His legs easily latched around Andrew’s middle and Andrew’s strong hands clutched under his thighs to hold him in place. Neil held on to Andrew’s shoulders to keep them balanced and they shared a few stray kisses while Andrew carried them towards the stairs. He let Neil down so the two of them could clamor up the narrow staircase, Neil shedding the rest of his clothes as he went. The last thing Neil heard before the door slammed shut behind him was the new movie starting downstairs and the words ‘trick or treat.’ Neil thought he was very much in favor of treats, though tricks, even the unintentional ones, could be nice too. 

🕸

Sunlight rudely streamed directly into Neil’s face from a crack in the curtain and he rolled over to avoid the sudden brightness. Breathing deeply, he inhaled the smell of clean sheets, faintly scented with lavender and cologne. His senses swirled to life and he remembered where he was, his eyes snapping open. This was not his bed. Those were not his sheets. But he was alone. 

After throwing Neil onto the mattress the night before, Andrew had spent hours taking Neil apart. They hadn’t gone much farther, but by the early morning hours both were exhausted and sated. They spent a while watching each other from across the bed but eventually Andrew kissed him and got up, telling him he would sleep downstairs. They hadn’t fully talked about their pasts, but Neil got the sense that Andrew still had certain boundaries he wasn’t ready to pull down and Neil understood. Truthfully, he hadn’t slept in a bed with another person since his mother had died nearly fifteen years before. But that night he slept soundly, nestled in Andrew’s blankets that smelled like him and the subtle hint of herbs and clean soap. It had to be after nine, much later than Neil usually woke, but before he could roll over and check the clock on the  nightstand he heard the door creek open. 

Andrew set down two mugs of coffee on the nightstand and slid back into bed. He was wearing pajama bottoms but Neil still only wore his borrowed boxer-briefs – which he realized were  actually new since the open package was still on top of Andrew’s dresser. Why he had a random package of underwear lying around Neil didn’t know. 

He nuzzled into Andrew’s chest the moment he lay down and let himself be half-pulled on top of the other man. Though he did keep his chin tipped down since he thought his breath might still smell like a stale mixture of a good night's sleep and the tea he’d had the night before since he hadn’t brushed them yet. Andrew’s breath, however, puffed against his hair and smelled like mint. 

A moment later Andrew’s hand found its way to Neil’s unruly bedhead and Neil reached over to brush his knuckles along Andrew’s chest. It was smooth and  soft so he’d probably shaved the small patch of stubble that morning. Neil pressed his palm flat and listened to Andrew’s resting heartbeat, eyes flicking to the mugs on the nightstand. 

“That’s not tea, I hope,” he said with a chuckled that turned into a yawn halfway through. 

Andrew huffed beneath him and his nose lingered in Neil’s hair for a moment. “Would you complain if it was?”

Feeling his cheeks heat he focused on his faint arousal. It seemed normal for just waking up and softened after a few long seconds, nothing to be concerned about. 

“Hmm....maybe not after I’ve had food,” Neil admitted. 

Andrew tugged his hair and Neil sat up to look down at him. The blond stuck his hands behind his head and squinted in the light Neil wasn’t quiet shielding him from.

Neil looked down and admired Andrew’s sculpted chest. He was pale and cut like marble, but a little bulky around the hips. Since Andrew didn’t admonish him for his staring, he dragged a scarred finger down Andrew’s bicep, pulling it downwards over the short hairs in his armpit – which also looked like he shaved or trimmed – and let it linger over his peck. His finger traced a pert, dusky nipple before withdrawing entirely. 

“So why do you have that tea anyways?” he asked. 

Andrew shifted under his gaze. “You remember the yellow flowers in the garden out back, yes?”

Neil nodded. 

“They were here when I moved in. My friend Renee is an herbalist. She owns a shop in town. She saw the bush when I first moved in and apparently stole some. The next time she visited she brought the tea.”

“Seems like an odd gift,” Neil said. 

Andrew shrugged, dragging his eyes up and down Neil’s ragged torso, lingering on his crotch before looking him in the eye again. “It has been useful before.”

Feeling a brief sting of jealous curiosity, Neil shook his head to dispel any negative thoughts. He didn’t know what this was with Andrew, but the man’s past wasn’t his business. He knew more than anyone to take what he could get when it came to good things in his life. Especially when there was a  chance they would bloom into something even better. 

So, he smiled, leaned in, and pressed a kiss to Andrew’s sternum. “Well....it looked like you were almost out. Guess she’ll have  to make you some more.”

“Hmm...” Andrew hummed and reached up to clamp a hand around Neil’s throat. He slid it around towards the back of his neck to pull him in. “I guess she will.”

**Author's Note:**

> The aphrodisiac was a very quick google search so don't hold me to any of it. Also I had to find a video of cats fucking because I'd only heard about what they sounded like but wasn't sure. I'm now scarred for life, thanks for asking.


End file.
